DURHAM – Now that Durham faces its first winter with its own public works department, the road commissioner wants residents to know what they can expect – and what’s expected of them – during the upcoming winter, when the snowplows will hit the roads.

Shawn Bennett has posted a detailed “message from the road commissioner” on the town’s website, www.durhamme.com. In his report, Bennett – who is road commissioner for both Durham and Pownal – tells residents how his workers will treat town roads.

“I believe the more information we can get out to people, the better off everybody is,” Bennett said. “I’ve done it in Pownal for quite a few years. I’ve adapted it to the town of Durham.”

Durham instituted its first public works department this year, following voter approval at the April 2013 town meeting. Voters approved $2.8 million to start the department, including equipment and the $890,000 purchase price of 14 acres of land and buildings formerly owned by Copp Excavating on Royalsborough Road. Bennett has a five-man crew, including himself.

One thing people traveling town roads this winter can expect: Plow trucks will be out prior to the arrival of snow.

“We’ve changed from de-icing to anti-icing,” Bennett said. “Anti-icing is treating the roads before the storm. It creates a salt brine layer between the snow and the pavement. And you use less material. De-icing allows for a snow pack on the road. You’re not going to be driving on slippery packed snow.”

The town also has hired three part-timers to man the eight plow trucks. They will be out early, Bennett said, and for the duration of storms and for small accumulations.

“Everything you get off, you’re going to need less chemicals to get the rest off,” he said. “When we see sparks coming off that plow because it’s hitting pavement, that means we’re doing our job.”

Bennett is asking residents not to plow snow from their driveways into roads, a practice that not only is against the law, but also makes it more difficult for the town crew to do its job.

“It happens a lot,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize it’s against the law.”

Bennett wants residents to know that the town crew will not be using as much salt – a worry to some due to salt’s environmental impact – as people might think.

“The trucks are calibrated,” he said. “A salt application is 500-600 pounds per mile of road. That’s not as much as people think.”

Durham’s eight plow trucks are ready to go for the winter season.